Faith in Breathing
by Seynee
Summary: The wheel in the sky keeps on turning, and neither of them knows how to stop it. For SSM. — Sasuke, Sakura. AU.
1. I

**a/n:** I CAN'T RESIST. I've missed you, SasuSaku community! ;)

—

**faith in breathing**

_would you lie with me and just forget the world?_

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**I**

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The night smelled like gasoline and cigarettes and liquor, and underneath the city gleamed golden, submerged in a glittering ocean of celebration.

On the twenty-fourth floor of the Wakaba Tower, Uchiha Sasuke stood in the dark, a hand pressed against the cold glass, long, slender fingers stretched as if to capture as many lights as he could. It was a day before the Lantern Festival, the biggest summer festival in underground Osaka, and this year it was the Leaf's turn to host it. As the leader of the Leaf, it was his responsibility to oversee the preparation. It was by no means an easy job for a man who had been born and bred for street racing, but Sasuke lived and breathed Leaf. He was going to make this festival a smashing success or die trying—not that he should have anything to worry about, since the preparation was going remarkably well. The Leafs, much to his relief, turned out to be almost as talented in event organizing as they were in street racing.

"Sasuke-kun?"

At the mention of his name, Sasuke turned around. Sakura was standing right by the door in his blue shirt, pink hair mussed behind her head. As she stepped forward he reached for her, tucking her head underneath his chin, her face pressed against the hard planes of his chest. Her hair tickled his nose, smelling faintly of strawberry shampoo. "I thought you'd gone to bed already."

"I couldn't sleep alone," she smiled, the silver cadence in her gentle voice almost teasing as she wiped the oil smudge on his right cheek with her sleeve, "You really don't need to be so worried about the festival, Sasuke-kun. I think Naruto even managed to persuade the Hyuugas to help out a little bit, and you know they've always been such a tight-assed group."

"Did he now?"

"Yes. It was rather amazing, actually. Especially since he's not known for his subtlety."

He snorted. "He doesn't _have _subtlety."

A cheerful laughter escaped her throat, "Exactly."

They stood in silence for a few seconds, before Sasuke finally gestured to the envelope on the coffee table. Slipping out of his embrace, Sakura reached for it and pulled out the letter. Over her shoulder, Yakushi Kabuto's cursive handwriting on the paper taunted him: … _you and three of your best racers… willing to give you the opportunity to negotiate… of course _the_ Uchiha Sasuke wouldn't back out from such an easy challenge, right?_

Though the rivalry between the Sound and the Leaf had run deep and long for more than fifty years and they often challenged each other to races, this was the first time the challenge would take place during the Lantern Festival—an event agreed to be one of the very few times of peace. It was practically unheard of, even if the Sound _were_ invited to the festival.

Her eyes softened when she caught the exhaustion darkening his handsome face. "You're going to have to accept, of course," she said gently, pulling him down to sit next to her, "Backing out will only give them another excuse to pick fights with the Leaf, and we don't want that to happen any more than it has. On the bright side, Sasuke-kun, there's no reason that you can't negotiate the terms of the race."

"Shikamaru said there will be a catch," Sasuke muttered, referring to the Leaf's genius strategist, "But that's no surprise, since the Sound never played fair before."

There were a few more pages after the challenge, detailing the terms and conditions of the race, followed by an agreement form for Sasuke to sign. "I wonder if they're planning to declare war for our territory, and this race is just the beginning. It's no secret that we have the better part of the city and that they've coveted our place for so long. Of course, this could be just another _friendly_ race," she paused, examining the last page thoroughly, "but somehow, I don't think so."

As the corners of her lips slid into a frown, guilt twisted Sasuke's stomach. He took the letter from her hands and threw it carelessly to the coffee table. "Don't you worry about that," he told her sternly, "It's my problem, I'll deal with it."

"But—"

"How's the training going?"

His interruption deepened her frown, but recognizing the stubborn determination in his eyes, she let it go. "Quite good, actually. I let Miya and Ami take the Buick Sommerset and the J2-Cadillac today for a fifty-mile race. They enjoyed that, although it's clear that they _hate_ each other," she pulled a face, laughing lightly, "They're the same age and they say they're from the same section of Kita, though, so I guess that if that doesn't make them instant friends, that makes them instant rivals. Sort of like how you and Naruto used to be."

Sasuke's lips twitched. "But we've grown up."

"Arguable," Sakura countered, though her green eyes were dancing, "You still spend much of your waking moment challenging each other stupid things, sometimes I worry you're never going to reach thirty."

"Of course I am," he murmured, lowering his head to press a soft, slow kiss on the base of her throat. Her fingers resting lightly on his chest, amusement tugged at the corners of his lips and he raised his head to nip at her lower lip playfully. His breath was warm against her chin, sending ripples of electricity dancing across her skin, as he asked, "Would you like to go to bed now?"

"Yes," she purred, her voice caressing his consciousness like dark velvet as her cheeks dusted a lovely shade of pink, igniting something warm in his chest, "Yes."

**x**

The next morning, Sakura found herself sitting with her arms crossed in the bleachers of the circuit training grounds, watching as Tenten talked to Miya and Ami. The two girls stood on the verge of eighteen, four years younger than she was, but it was obvious that they were more than acquainted with the world of street racing. Their reflexes were too quick, their knowledge too broad, their techniques too polished, Sakura was sure they were hiding something. Hopefully Tenten could figure out just what.

The Leaf wasn't used to accepting 'civilians' into their territory, but Miya and Ami had come to them for 'shelter and protection from the streets'. Training them had been a ruse, a ploy, to gather more information about them, but so far, neither Miya nor Ami had exposed anything, accidentally or not.

"It's a matter of time," Ino assured from her side, glittering blue eyes also fixed on Tenten, Miya and Ami, "Their mutual dislike is not pretense. We know _that_ much about them, if nothing else. Don't worry too much, Sakura."

Sakura nodded. She had sensed that much, too. Whoever Miya and Ami really were, they genuinely hated each other, and both were downright hostile when it came down to it. "Do you think they were members of the Sound?"

"It's possible that they _are_ still members of the Sound," Ino shrugged, meeting Sakura's gaze, "Shikamaru told me about the challenge. I wouldn't be surprised if they're here to spy on us, see how our training is going, our cars and stuff."

"It wouldn't be the first time," agreed Sakura.

"Exactly," the blonde murmured thoughtfully, before a sadistic, cynical smile suddenly blossomed on her lips. "We should just lock them up and question them, or something. It will save us from a lot of trouble."

Sakura grinned. "It will also _give_ us trouble, Ino, and you know that perfectly well. Don't tell me that you suggested it because you're just _that_ bored and you want to interrogate them for the hell of it."

"I won't tell you that, then," Ino's eyes twinkled as she grinned back. "It was worth a try."

The pink-haired woman laughed, then, gazing fondly at her best friend before they noticed Tenten approaching them as Miya and Ami made their way into their respective cars.

"I told them to do twenty laps," she told Sakura and Ino, joining them on the bleachers, "About sixty miles, give or take. That should buy us some time."

"You have news?" Sakura asked hopefully.

Tenten nodded. "They obviously have some level of experience with racing, but I won't say that they're the best racers I've seen. I think they're from the Sound, though I can't tell if they're still with them or they're honestly seeking refuge with us," she paused, and then lowered her voice though no one else was around, "Still, I think you have to be careful, Sakura. That Ami girl… she's very interested in you, your relationship with Sasuke in particular. She kept asking me questions about how long you've been together, how many races you've won, what kind of a person he really is, that kind of thing."

"She definitely sounds like a spy," Ino raised her eyebrows, almost amused, "and not a very subtle one, too."

"Those kinds are normally the lesser of two evils."

"Yes," Sakura sighed heavily. Tenten was a great judge of character, more so than almost everyone she knew. "Well…" she paused, "They can't find out that we've had them figured out yet. Ino, can you make sure someone is always keeping an eye on them? Moegi, maybe, she's their age so they'll be less suspicious of her. Tenten—"

"I'll keep an eye on them for now," the brown-haired woman promised.

"Great, thanks," Sakura said, standing up as a frown marred her pretty face, "I better go tell Sasuke about this. Did Shikamaru tell you when they're coming back from the Sound, Ino?"

"About seven in the evening, I think," Ino stood up as well, looking concerned. "Sasuke won't be happy."

"No," the pink-haired woman agreed, suddenly exhausted, "He won't."

**x**

Ino was right, of course. The news that Miya and Ami had been from the Sound and might very possibly _still_ be in the Sound did not make him happy in the slightest. His first instinct was to lock them up in the basement, but he knew that wouldn't be a smart move. As a result, he now found himself pacing around the meeting room, glaring at the faces surrounding him.

"We should look at this from the bright side," Sakura murmured, standing anxiously in the middle of the room as she watched him. "At least we're one step ahead of the Sound now. Whatever they're planning for Miya and Ami—_if _they're planning anything—at least we know that… well, something's up. I know it's not a very big step ahead, but it's something," she darted a desperate glance at Shikamaru, "Isn't it?"

"Well…" the strategist leaned back on his seat, shifting to find himself a more comfortable position, "I suppose it is, because they _are_ planning something, Sakura. You can't just fool yourself and think that Miya and Ami are here for our protection from the Sound," he paused thoughtfully, his fingers resting on his lap, "Their timing is too damn convenient for that. My best guess is that they want something from us that will help them win the Lantern Festival race."

A few moments of silence fell over the room, before Sasuke suddenly stopped pacing around. "We can't let them win," he said firmly, determination in the even timbre of his voice, "It'll be over my dead body."

"The negotiation this afternoon didn't go well," Shikamaru explained to Sakura. "Kabuto wants the Wakaba Tower, pure and simple, and he doesn't want to let it go."

Green eyes widened in fearful understanding. "Are you serious?" she whispered harshly, disbelievingly. "You bet our _tower_?"

"_He_ bet our tower," Sasuke spat angrily. "Wouldn't let me in a word otherwise, that fucking bastard. I could just disagree to his terms, but it wouldn't do any of us good."

Sakura closed her eyes and cursed loudly, a lump forming in her throat. It was understood that refusing a challenge from the Sound would only result in more trouble. The last time they had done it was a little over ten years ago. Hyuuga Hiashi was the leader of the Leaf, then, and the challenge had named his two daughters as the price. Within a few days after his refusal, the Sound started a war with the Leaf, starting with burning down the Wakaba Tower—the building where all the Leaf members lived and conducted their daily activities in.

It was when they started murdering the civilians they were supposed to protect that Hiashi surrendered and the Sound immediately retreated, as if what they had been waiting for all along was his uttered defeat. More than two hundred people were killed that day, and Hiashi's own nephew, the one supposed to inherit the title as the Leaf's leader, was declared a victim, although his body was never found. As soon as Sasuke turned twenty Hiashi stepped down and pointed the Uchiha as his successor. That was four years ago, but Sakura doubted that the Sound had lessened in their aggression and bloodlust. If any, with Yakushi Kabuto as their new leader, they were even more homicidal and ruthless.

"They have the field advantage since it's held on their circuit, but we have won there, too," Shikamaru broke the silence suddenly, his attention on his BlackBerry, before he looked up and frowned. "It's hard, Sasuke, I'll admit you that, but it's not impossible." Wiping imaginary dust off his shoulder, he stood up, "Anyway, I'm expected at the control room now, so I'll leave you two to it."

As the door closed with a soft click, signaling Shikamaru's departure, Sasuke grabbed Sakura's hands and his fingers circled desperately around her wrists. "Sakura, I…" he paused, obsidian eyes searching hers fiercely, clearly distraught, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry this has to happen. I—"

"Hush," the pink-haired woman intervened, green eyes gentle as her hand caressed the side of his cheek, "There's nothing to be sorry about. It's not your fault, you know that, don't you?"

"Yes, but…"

Before he had the chance to finish what he was saying, she continued, "It's okay, Sasuke-kun. How hard can it be? It's four races, right, including yours? I can do it. Naruto can do it, too, and then there's Tenten, Lee, Kiba, Shino, Chouji, Ino… maybe even Shikamaru. We have a lot of people we can depend on—"

"I'm not letting you race tomorrow," Sasuke cut in sharply, jaw set as his eyes darkened even more, "The Sound doesn't play fair—will never play fair, and I will _not_ let you be there if they try anything. I'll take your name off the list, I swear I will. I'll… I don't know what I'll do. Whatever it is I need to do. Anything," he brought her hand to his lips, brushing a soft kiss on her knuckles, and vowed, "_Anything_ to keep you out of their childish games."

"Hey," her fingers brushed his jaw as her eyes danced, amused of his sudden display of protectiveness, "What are you so desperate for? That's not for you to decide, Sasuke-kun. You know how this works, don't you? If it were up to you—"

"If it were up to me," he interrupted her again, clutching her fingers and bringing it to his lips, "I'll keep you away somewhere you can't be hurt. I can't risk it, Sakura—I can't risk _you_."

"Well, then," Sakura's gaze softened, green eyes glittering as she angled her head and the silver feathers dangling from her ears glinted in the darkness, "Then I guess we'll just have to win, won't we?"

In response, he folded her into his arms once more. She sighed, pressing the side of her head to his chest, and closed her eyes. She would give anything to stay here, in this moment, listening to the steady beat of his heart, feeling his lips on the crown of her head and his arms around her as if their life depended on it, but right now, right here, he was responsible of not only his own life but the lives of three hundred members of the Leaf, and she could not be selfish enough to want him to throw that away for her.

Looking up, she tugged his head down and kissed him, softly, slowly, savoring the feel of _him_ surrounding her, and then pulled away.

"Go," she whispered breathlessly, "Take care of it."

Sasuke nodded, kissing her once more on the lips before he made his way out the room, leaving her alone as she slumped down on the sofa. It would be another hour before the poll, she knew, and she better made use of the time as efficiently as she could. Retrieving her laptop from the locked cabinet in the meeting room, she inputted her password and put on her headphones.

She was so engrossed with her work that she didn't realize someone entering the room; only realized it when she felt something pressed against her spine—the mouth of a gun. Taking a deep, calming breath, she folded her laptop screen and turned around carefully to see her assailant.

"_Miya_?"

**x**

There really was no other way around this, Sasuke thought. In front of him gathered more than two hundred street racers, chattering away about the news he just delivered to them: that there was a race tomorrow night, and they were to vote for their top three representatives. He had been wary at first, but after scanning the crowd he spotted neither Miya nor Ami, so he started the voting. The names that finally showed up on the screen were expected:

_1. Uzumaki Naruto__  
><em>_2. Inuzuka Kiba__  
><em>_3. Hayashi Tenten_

Ushering them into a private room where they could speak more privately, Sasuke looked at Naruto, Kiba and Tenten with careful attention. "I gather all three of you are willing to participate?"

His question was answered with an enthusiastic "Of course!" from Naruto and Kiba, while Tenten just slowly nodded, looking more thoughtful rather than anything else. Sasuke stared at her expectantly, a sneaking suspicion telling him she suspected more was going on than what he had told them.

True to his thoughts, she crossed her arms over her chest and raised her eyebrows when he didn't speak further. "Oh, come on, Sasuke. Just tell us the truth. Surely it's more than just a friendly game if you bothered to exclude Sakura in the voting. She'll be pissed once she finds out, and I know how much you hate it when she's pissed at you."

Unable to help himself, Sasuke cringed inwardly at her gentle accusation. He'd known that Sakura would be pissed—more than pissed, in fact; she probably wouldn't talk to him in a few days, but he hadn't considered that his one single action would invoke such curiosity. Granted, Tenten was sharper and more intuitive than ninety-nine percent of the Leaf racers, but he really should have been more cautious than that.

"Yeah," Kiba agreed suddenly, looking clearly interested, "Come to think of it, we don't usually have races during the Lantern Festival—especially when we're hosting it. Surely the Sound knows better than to challenge us at this time?"

"What is it?" Naruto's eyes widened. "Why are we racing tomorrow, Sasuke?"

Sasuke started to explain. "Okay, so it's not a friendly game. It's more than that. The Sound is coming forward with a challenge to us—a bet, more specifically, for… for this tower."

Kiba's jaw dropped. "Are you serious? This tower?"

"This tower," Sasuke clarified.

"But—but—" Naruto was speechless, "But we _live_ here!"

"Well, obviously, if they win, _they'll_ live here," Tenten answered, her face impassive and her voice dry. As Sasuke wondered if she'd ever been less than calm, she turned to him and raised her eyebrows, "Which leaves us with… what, Sasuke?"

"Nothing."

"You're kidding!" Naruto gawked. "Tell us you're kidding, Sasuke!"

"There's always the streets," Tenten said, almost sardonically, tapping her chin, "Although it wouldn't be as comfortable, of course. And knowing the Sound, there's no way they're going to compromise."

Sasuke almost smirked. "Clever girl."

Amusement dancing in her mocha-colored eyes, Tenten returned the grin with a playful smile on her lips. "Thank you. So what do you propose we do, _captain_?"

"We race," his answer was simple, the baritone of his voice deep and firm, "and we win."

She nodded approvingly. "Of course."

"We're racing at the Sound, aren't we?" asked Kiba, business-like all of a sudden. His normally warm brown eyes were fierce, almost feral, his smirk determined.

"Yes, we are," Sasuke replied calmly as the three stared at him, looking almost eager, "though it shouldn't put us at a disadvantage. We've won the last three races against them—their top racers are nowhere as good as ours, nowhere as good as the four of us."

"You're racing too?"

"Against Yakushi Kabuto," the Uchiha responded airily. "Anyway, one thing you should have realized is that the Sound doesn't play fair. _Ever_. If you encounter smoke bombs, thumbtacks in your tires, that kind of thing, it's _their _doing. It's their way of racing."

Naruto nodded. "We know."

"Good," Sasuke nodded back. "But us, we play fair. The Rain will send in some representatives to be the umpire. Don't, I repeat _don't_, give them any reason to disqualify you." He took a deep breath and stared at Naruto, and then at Kiba, and then at Tenten. "Keep that in mind, and _don't let them win._"

Kiba snorted. "What a way to put pressure on us, Sasuke."

"I know," Tenten chuckled. "Well, it's a good thing that we all _thrive_ under pressure, isn't it?"

"Wonderful," Naruto agreed. "I was just—"

"Sasuke," a new voice interrupted the conversation and all four pairs of eyes turned to the door, where Shikamaru was standing, his face crumpled with worry and a certain kind of rare urgency, "Sasuke, there's something you need to know. Sakura… Sakura's missing."

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**tbc.**

—

**a/n:** 1) _Wakaba_ means "young leaves" or "fresh leaves", which is rather fitting, I think, given their team's name. Yes, they are street racers in this universe. I don't know what possessed me to write something like this, but eh, it was fun.

2) Anyway, the prompt for this piece was: **"What are you so desperate for?"** It is a (not very) guilty pleasure of mine to see Sasuke desperate, by the way, so you'll be seeing some more of that.

3) Lastly, Happy SasuSaku month, people! Here's to a month of tons and _tons _of Sasuke x Sakura goodness! Hope this was a good enough contribution? ;)


	2. II

**a/n:** Uh, better late than never?

—

**II**

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"Fuck, fuck, fuck, _fuck_—"

"Shut up!" Naruto barked, glaring at Kiba as the latter paced around the room, "You're not helping any by cursing." He turned towards Shikamaru, who was sprawled on the sofa across from Sasuke, watching his BlackBerry closely, and then towards Tenten and Ino, who were huddled in front of Sakura's laptop. "What the fuck do we do now?" he demanded, "Don't tell me we're just going to sit here and do _nothing_, wait for tomorrow, when they've taken _Sakura-chan_!"

"We're not," Shikamaru intoned impatiently, "We're just figuring what the best course of action is."

"Couldn't you hurry up a little bit? Sakura could be hurt!" Kiba swallowed anxiously, "Or worse, she could be—"

"Don't say it!" snapped Ino, her voice shaky. The corners of her eyes were glistening with tears. "Please don't say it, Kiba. Sakura couldn't be… she couldn't be…" she choked, unable to continue, and looked away.

Meanwhile, Sasuke was staring out of the large glass window, wondering how the hell they got into this mess as he cursed his own carelessness, his own stupidity. If only he hadn't left her alone, Sakura would still be here with them and they could all focus on the race tonight. Closing his eyes, a guttural groan escaped his throat. _Fuck the race_, he thought, _fuck the Leaf. _But he knew, even as he thought the words, that he wasn't that kind of man, and that she wouldn't want him to put her before the Leaf. As Uchiha Sasuke he was the leader of the Leaf and they were his responsibility; it was as simple as that. As Sasuke…

As Sasuke, all he wanted to do was to throw all of this away. As Sasuke, all he wanted to do was to save Sakura. As Sasuke, all he wanted was to—

_Well…_

And just like that, he knew what he had to do.

"Tenten," he said suddenly, his voice authoritative though he still had his back to the room, "What guns do you have now?"

"I have… a Glock 18C, Smith and Wesson's and Jericho 941 here with me," she frowned, producing each gun as she spoke and laying them on the table, "If you want something with a bigger cartridge, I can get you a Glock 37."

"Get me that," Sasuke ordered, and then turned to Ino, "What about my car?"

She straightened up, "I can get it ready in fifteen minutes."

"Do it."

Shikamaru raised his head from the sofa, "Where are you going?"

Sasuke closed his eyes, his even voice calm and leaving no room for argument, "The Sound's headquarters."

To his surprise, the strategist propped himself up on his elbows. "I think that's about the only thing we can do, too, actually. I'm coming with you."

"Two Glock 37s, then?" Tenten asked.

Naruto piped in, "Make that three."

Kiba raised his hand. "Four."

"If that's the case, I might have to throw in other types, too," Tenten grinned and glanced at the other female in the room, "You coming, Ino?"

The blonde grinned back. "Might as well. You?"

"Heck yes," she said fiercely. "Get all of the cars ready. I'm getting us weapons."

The two women departed from the room, leaving Sasuke to stare at the rest of the racers in something akin to wonderment. "You people are crazy," he declared, though the light in his eyes belied his disbelieving tone, "We can't go in stealth like this, with this many people."

"Who says we have to?" Shikamaru asked, a half-smirk spreading on his lips, "The race begins in an hour. We _do_ have to go there, whether it's for the race or for Sakura."

"For Sakura," Sasuke responded decisively, "For Sakura."

No one disagreed.

**x**

When Sakura woke up, her hands were tied behind her back in a tight knot, her ankles heavy with chains. She was in a dark, dingy cell, the only source of light the small oil lamp hanging on the ceiling and the small rectangular window on the wall. She cursed—loudly, not bothering to hide her vexation, and blinked thrice, forcing her eyes to adjust.

"You're awake," a soft, decidedly female voice said.

Recognizing it, Sakura's jaw hardened. "Miya."

"Sakura-san," Miya was sitting cross-legged in the other side of the cell, a finger twirling around a strand of her golden hair, "How are you feeling?"

_Betrayed. Annoyed. Like I want to rip your throat and wash your teeth with your blood_. "I have a headache."

"Understandable. You knocked your head on the table when I drugged you."

Sakura closed her eyes, opened them again. "You didn't shoot me."

"I never planned to."

"Where are we now?"

"The Sound's headquarters. I've brought you here." Miya's hazel eyes glittered. "Kabuto-sama will certainly reward me for this. He is very pleased."

_No doubt_, Sakura thought. She struggled to move her hands, trying to establish her mobility as she examined the chains fettering her ankles. Idly, she wondered how long she had been away and what Sasuke and the others were planning to do about her disappearance. It had most likely been more than two hours—the sky was dark outside and she could glimpse a number of stars from where she was sitting.

"What kind of reward are you talking about?" she asked, examining the corners of the cell for something that could at least free her hands, "Monetary rewards? Will he give you a place to stay? Take you back to the Sound? Oh, I forgot, that one was a ruse you and Ami pulled, wasn't it. You were never abandoned on the streets."

"_I_ was never abandoned on the streets," Miya remarked haughtily. "Ami… well, I couldn't care less about her. She's better off dead."

Sakura stopped for a while, staring at Miya. "She's also from the Sound, isn't she?"

It was Miya's turn to pause as she looked down at Sakura. "Ami was one of us," she allowed eventually, "but she did not have the loyalty Kabuto-sama demanded of us, so he sent her away. It was just a coincidence that she sought out the Leaf the same time I did. Me, my assignment was always to watch _you_, Sakura-san. Some sort of a test of my devotion to the Sound, to Kabuto-sama. Of course, with you here, Kabuto-sama would have no reason to doubt me."

"What did you do to Moegi?"

Laughter escaped Miya's throat at the question, and the incredulity on her face erased any trace of beauty she had before. "Seriously? You're all tied up and all you can think of is _Moegi_?"

Sakura persisted, "What did you do to Moegi, Miya?"

Miya studied her captive's face silently for a few seconds. "I didn't do anything to her. She was completely distracted by Ami, she didn't even suspect me for a single second. No one did," she snorted disdainfully, "Fools; the lot of them."

Feeling a little bit calmer, her green eyes wandered outside the cell as heavy footsteps echoed on the cold granite stairway. She straightened up on the floor as she realized who it was: Yakushi Kabuto, standing in front of her cell, his silver hair tied into a low ponytail and his hard, charcoal-colored eyes glinting underneath the dim lighting.

"Sakura-chan," he looked at her amiably, "You look terribly uncomfortable."

"Much more uncomfortable than I would be had you not kidnapped me."

"Kidnapped!" he echoed her, laughing as if she just made the funniest joke in the world, "Don't use that word, Sakura-chan. I merely wanted to borrow you for a little while. I've heard of your relationship with a certain leader of the Leaf, pretty one, and I have to say, it's terribly… _refreshing_ to know that the almighty Uchiha Sasuke has a weakness after all." He turned to the simpering girl standing next to him, "Keys?"

Obediently, Miya dropped a set of keys into his waiting palm. "Should I—"

"Leave? Yes, of course," Kabuto interrupted, completely missing the flash of pain crossing her features. He dismissed her off with a casual wave, sending the girl upstairs before he unlocked the cell and knelt down in front of Sakura.

"What do you want from me, Kabuto?" the pink-haired woman asked coldly. "If you think by kidnapping me you can have the Leaf, then you are terribly wrong. Sasuke-kun won't ever surrender the Leaf into your hands, you know—"

"Oh, trust me, that's not what I intended at all," he said, his fingers gently lifting up her chin,"Surely you have realized by now that I am a far smarter man than that."

Her eyebrows arched. "Have I, now?"

Kabuto laughed as he shook his head, amusement flitting across his features. "Are you sure you don't want to transfer to the Sound, Sakura-chan? You're quite… _exquisite_."

As calmly as she could, she responded, "I'm honored you think so highly of me."

In another world, in another time, or had it been said by any other man, that would have sounded like a compliment. As it was, however, he was staring at her the way a predator watched its prey—greedily, possessively, hungrily, as if the only thing keeping him from devouring her was, well, _himself_. Suppressing a shudder when his fingers traced the outline of her mouth, Sakura forced herself to breathe steadily—any sign of weakness, of hatred, of _fear_, would only encourage him, sadist that he was.

"What would you do, Sakura-chan," he murmured thoughtfully, "if I were to kiss you on the lips?"

"Knee your groin," she replied immediately, her face impassive though slight repugnance coated her even voice, "If my hands were free, I'd crush your balls, too. And don't call me Sakura-chan, fuckhead."

"Such language," Kabuto chuckled. "Such temper."

She stared at him flatly, even as he bent down to press a kiss against her cheekbone, his mouth cold and dry as it glided down to the side of her jaw. His gray head descended even lower as he moved to her throat, his hands caressing the curve between her shoulder and neck. He paused there for three seconds, before his tongue flicked out to touch her collarbone—and still, _still_ she did not jerk away.

Sensing that he was not going to get any reaction from her, he withdrew, looking extremely dissatisfied. "I really don't know what to make of you, Sakura-chan."

"Make up your mind," she shot back. "One moment you say I'm exquisite, the other you say you don't know what to make of me."

"Alright, then, let me correct myself: you _are_ exquisite, and you are very possibly one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen in my life. And trust me," his laughter was quiet, almost mocking, "I have seen a _lot_."

The lines of her face tightened. "I don't remember asking."

He studied her for a moment, looking morbidly intrigued. "There must be something you are scared about. Something you will cry for, _someone_ you will cry for… Uchiha Sasuke, perhaps?"

Sakura's green eyes were indifferent. "What about Uchiha Sasuke?"

"What would you say," he paused thoughtfully, the gray in his eyes glinting before his lips curved into something like a sinister smile but not quite, "if I were to do _something_ to him tonight?"

For the first time that night, genuine fear crept into Sakura's heart; real and desperate and so _sharp_ that it choked her, suffocated her, _smothered_ her. Everything in his body language screamed danger at her—his charming smile, his pleasant voice, his cold hands on the side of her face—and she knew, just _knew_, what he was actually planning, all along, from the start. Her fingers curled tightly into her palms, polished fingernails tearing into the skin, digging cuts the shape of half-moons.

The even timbre of her voice shook ever so slightly. "You wouldn't dare."

Something in his eyes gleamed, a thousand of sharp, bladelike icicles in his voice, "Oh… but _would_ I?"

What little color left on her face drained, "Yakushi Kabuto—"

"I see," the smugness in his voice chilled her very bone.

They stared at each other, her green gaze falling somewhere between fury and panic against his controlled, calm one, and in the distance a siren blared—shattering the menacing silence between them into splinters as sharp as glass.

**x**

When Kabuto stepped into the clearing where Sasuke and the rest of the Leafs were standing, his steps were languid, almost lazy, and hanging from his fingers was a set of keys that jingled to his light movements. He stopped right in front of the Uchiha, his head bobbing into an acknowledging nod as his eyeglasses reflected the light of the fire tombs alighting the circuit.

"Uchiha Sasuke," a slow smile tugged on his lips. "Welcome. I trust the Sounds have been treating you well?"

At the seemingly harmless question, Sasuke narrowed his eyes, his fists clenching in his pockets as he felt Shikamaru's fingers gripping his shoulder so tightly it was almost painful. It was all he could do to keep from launching himself at the Sound leader and ripping his throat. "Where is she?"

Kabuto studied his opponent's face for a few seconds. "All you need to know is that she is alive and she is well," he said, his voice quiet but cold, "I will gladly tell you where she is, but it comes with a price," his eyes flashed dangerously, "that is, you hand over your position as the leader of the Leaf—"

"No _fucking_ chance."

"Thought so. Well, it's either that or we race—your three against my three, and then you against me… and shall I refresh you on the terms of our agreement? You must win _every single race_. Then and only then will I take you to her. If you don't win… I won't say anything, and the Wakaba Tower will be the Sound's. It's a good deal, isn't it? And very fair, too. The winner gets everything," his smile widened and he looked extremely pleased with himself. "Your choice, Uchiha Sasuke."

Sasuke closed his eyes—Sakura's face flickering in the back of his head, her smile warm and kind—and then opened them again. "Start the fucking race," he said with maddening calm, and Shikamaru released his grip, some sort of a sign that he had chosen rightly. "Just start the fucking race, and we'll see who's laughing at the end of this."

Kabuto's face was a perfect blank sheet, completely devoid of any emotion, but his tone was pleasant when he spoke. "It seems that I have overestimated your feelings for her, Uchiha," he admitted slowly, "but that is no matter. I should have known that you, a man of authority, would rather dispose of someone like her rather than surrender your power. I would have chosen the same thing if I were you—"

"You're wrong," Sasuke interrupted, icy determination burning in his obsidian eyes, "It's not that I have grown weary of her. It's the opposite, Yakushi Kabuto—If I win, I get both. I would _never _stoop so low as to your position, and it would do you well to remember that."

As expected, his statement only managed to bring about another smug, provocative smile on Kabuto's lips. He looked at the crowd gathering around them calculatingly. "Kimimaro, Tayuya… Kakuzu. Inform Hisame-sama that the race is about to start—she'll be pleased to know that she can return to the Rain as soon as possible—and see to it that your cars are ready," he ordered, turning to Sasuke, "We'll begin in ten."

"The quicker, the better," the Uchiha retorted coldly, "Anything else?"

"It is as usual. I want your word that the Leaf will fight fair, and you can have my word that the Sound will fight fair as well. No tricks, no shenanigans, no mischief. Tonight it will be purely about street racing, and which one of us is the best. A fight to settle everything, if you will—"

Sasuke nodded, his dark eyes hard, "Winner gets all."

"Winner gets all," Kabuto echoed pleasantly. "We'll be using the mountain track tonight. Such a circuit is too dull for a race like this, don't you think?"

Next to him, Ino stiffened and for once, a flicker of alarm crossed her previously blank face. Sasuke wanted to reassure her, but he, too, understood what Kabuto was suggesting. The Sound was notorious for their mountain course, encompassing various types of tracks: off-road, cityscape, touge, complete with all the twists and turns that could catch even the most experienced racer off guard. It was utterly dangerous, and treading it at night—for a race with so much at stake—was positively _life-threatening, _especially since the Leafs had zero experience with the course and thus had no idea what it would be like.

Any other time Sasuke would have said no, pride be damned, but this was one of the circumstances where he knew he couldn't—and it seemed like Kabuto knew it, too, judging from the cynical smile permanently etched on his lips.

Next time, he started to vow, next time he would… well. _If_ there were a next time, he would do what he really wanted to do: shoot the fucking bastard a thousand times over until he bled dry—but as it was, he could only nod.

"Yes," he agreed, the baritone of his voice remarkably, morbidly calm as he met Kabuto's gaze, pure, hard obsidian clashing against dark gray, "It is indeed too dull for a race like this."

"I'll see you in ten minutes here, then," Kabuto nodded, giving a mockingly polite salute, "You better get ready."

Sasuke's eyes were cold and hard. "Oh, trust me, I _am_ ready."

For a few moments the Leafs were silent as they watched Kabuto depart, before Sasuke finally turned to them, his eyes blazing with barely controlled fury.

"Win," he ordered suddenly, sounding harsh and desperate and not at all the controlled, calm image he projected merely a few seconds ago, "I don't care what you have to do—shoot them, fuck them over, _kill_ them—I don't give a fuck, just _fucking win the race_, do you understand me?"

It was Shikamaru who spoke first. "_Control_ yourself, Sasuke," his tone was placid, "Don't let Kabuto into your head. You, of all people, know that's what he wants. It is imperative that you stay in control of yourself, or everything will only spiral downhill from here."

A suppressed growl escaped Sasuke's throat and he closed his eyes, pressing a hand against his temple. Of course he knew that—he _knew_ that above all Kabuto was a manipulative bastard, his words and actions choreographed solely for this purpose: to provoke him, to rob him of all his control, to make him _lose_. It was just that… it was just that he couldn't _stand_ it. He couldn't just _stand_ here, so helplessly frustrated, not knowing where Sakura was, not knowing if she was terrified, if she was hurt, if she, too, felt the dread that burdened his shoulders. She was alive—he could feel _that_ much, at least, but the fact that he knew so little, could do so little, for her, was _tearing_ his very soul.

He suddenly felt a hand on his arm, stilling him—he didn't realize he had been trembling. When he opened his eyes, Naruto stood grimly next to him, his gaze filled with a certain tenacity that only someone like him could have as his grip on Sasuke's arm tightened, strengthened.

Kiba snorted suddenly, breaking the chill of the silence with a loud, feral laughter. "Who does that Kabuto guy think he is, challenging usto something like this? Surely he understands that we won't lose to whatever he puts in our way! I mean," he shrugged, "_Us_!"

"We're going to win, Sasuke," Tenten also spoke, her voice melodious and soft, soothing, "Of course we are. We've been in situations worse than this, and we have come out alive. We're going to win."

There was no way she could know that, of course, but Sasuke appreciated her effort all the same, so he nodded, feeling almost touched and infinitely more determined to win.

He turned to Shikamaru and Ino, but the woman held up a hand, a perfect smile playing upon her lips. "We'll get your cars ready," she promised, already pulling Shikamaru away with her towards their parked cars, "You guys just stay there and… well, talk!"

Sasuke nodded again, returning his attention to Kiba, who was still shaking his fist in the air; Tenten, with her smile so unperturbed, so serene as if she hadn't just received an implicit death threat; and Naruto, whose grip was strong around his arm, blue eyes blazing with fierce determination—and suddenly, he realized that there was nothing he could say to them, because…

Because they, above everyone else, understood the gravity of the situation and what could come out of it. Because they understood that he was left with no other choice but the right one. Because they were in this together, and no words—no words—came close to being adequate.

Not for this. Not for them.

So when he extended his hand and felt their hands on top of his, it was only natural that it seemed like his burden was a little bit lighter, a little more bearable. He lifted his gaze up to the sky, then—praying, above all, that no matter what happened in the next few hours… they would somehow make it out alive.

.

.

.

**tbc.**

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**a/n:** The prompt for this one is **manipulate**. Thank you for reading!


	3. III

**a/n:** Sorry for the delay! This chapter was a _bitch_ to write, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. :)

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**III**

.

.

.

The road twisted in front of him, bumpy and sharp, and Sasuke steered the car carefully, cursing in spite of himself.

He was coming in second in the race, Naruto's car behind him and Kabuto's taking in first, and something inside him was crushing his chest like a dead, solid weight. The display on his left glowed a strange, ominous blue, showing the overall pattern of the Sound's mountain curse but not its mischievous twists and turns—which, unfortunately, in the darkness of the night, made all the difference. While all he wanted to do was to charge, overlooking his unfamiliarity with the track would be the pinnacle of carelessness, and tonight, Sasuke knew he was responsible for more than his own life.

"Sasuke?" Tenten's voice crackled over the static in his headset, "Can you hear me?"

Sasuke lifted a hand to press the device harder to his ear. "What's wrong?"

"They're planning something." She was a little far behind, the speck representing her Porsche Cayman trapped between two Sounds. "Kakuzu and Tayuya are keeping me between in purpose."

Kiba's fierce laughter rumbled in Sasuke's ear. "You shouldn't be so greedy, Ten. One of them is supposed to be _my_ opponent."

Sasuke made a quick left, brows furrowed in deep thought. Years of racing against the Sound had taught him one thing: that they always, _always_ had a strategy in mind. He ran through several possibilities in his head, his frown deepening when he realized he had no answer, his concentration robbed by the track.

"Never mind what they're planning," Shikamaru suddenly broke the silence, his voice laced by irritation, a beeping sound faint in the background, "We all know they're planning _something_, so be careful. More importantly, Sasuke..."

"What?"

"It seems like Sakura's in Kabuto's car."

Naruto growled. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"Well," Sasuke focused on Kabuto's black car. "Let's find out what he wants, then. But before that, Kiba—"

"I'm on it."

"Why, thank you," Tenten's laughter rang pleasantly, and Sasuke glanced at the display as Kiba's car inched against Tayuya's, rallying hers so now there was only Kakuzu guarding the female Leaf. "I owe you one."

Satisfaction curled the Uchiha's mouth for a split second before he returned his attention to the road, tuning out the conversation between the Leafs as he calculated his distance to Kabuto's car. If Shikamaru said it, then it must be true. Sakura was there—alive, breathing, and very possibly in danger. Something settled in the pit of his stomach, a fistful of glass and stitches, and he inhaled, turning the conditioner up, the cool air chilling his skin and raising tiny hairs on the back of his neck.

He shifted his gear and sped up.

**x**

Yakushi Kabuto was a skilled driver, and he navigated the darkness with a graceful nimbleness that could only be brought forth by sheer talent. He was a genius in racing, his long, slender fingers almost molded into the steering wheel, his gray eyes light and easy on the road, his reflexes finely attuned to the track. He made it look sinfully easy, it almost seemed like the car was an extension of his body. The corners of his mouth were curved into a relaxed smile, reminiscent of a lazy summer day, but Sakura knew better:

He was going to kill her.

She could see it in the sharp glint in his eyes, the way he squared his shoulders, the easy curl of his lips. She could see it in the glances he spared her, satisfied and arrogant, one second away from cutting her open. She could see it in the way he drove, snaking every twist and turn of the road, the arrow in the speedometer quavering as he made a mean hook to the left—and she jerked forward from her seat, the handcuffs binding her to the bottom of the gear shift cutting deep into her skin.

Watching as a trail of blood trickled down her palm, she forced herself to stay calm, choosing instead to focus on the screen on the center console.

The blinking lights should represent the cars: red for the Sounds, green for the Leafs. Currently they were leading the chase, three cars hot on their heels. The others were about half a mile behind, a big enough difference that she knew they were purposely being held up. She hadn't had the chance to figure out who the other Leaf racers were apart from Sasuke and Naruto, but she could hazard that Tenten was one of them. The other was most likely either Kiba or Shikamaru. As for the Sounds… she tried to remember who Kabuto's favorite racers were. Kimimaro? The red-haired woman? Or perhaps—

Something exploded behind them, startling her as she reflexively peered out the window. Her effort was in vain, because it didn't come from the cars she could see.

"Well done, Tayuya, Kakuzu," Kabuto remarked, his voice soft into the headset as he glanced at the screen, two green dots disappearing as if swallowed whole, "Kimimaro? Would you do me the honor and finish off Naruto-kun?"

Another explosion thundered somewhere in the distance and she glanced back again, only to discover that Naruto's car had disappeared from her view, dirty gray smoke in its place—right as the third green light perished from the screen.

"Good job," Kabuto laughed pleasantly. "Out now. I'll see you back at the circuit."

To Sakura's horror, all of the red dots except theirs stopped and within a second, disappeared from the screen. A sickening knot manifested in her throat and sank to her stomach, realization dawning. _This is not just a race. _His goal was to eliminate them, one by one, and now it was Sasuke's turn.

"Worried, Sakura-chan?" Kabuto asked, and she fixed him with a scathing glare that only invited another gleeful cackle from his lips. "You are simply too priceless. Don't worry, if things work out the way I have planned them to, you and I are going to be alive by the end."

His tone was harmless, innocent even, but the Leaf understood the implication behind his words, heard the underlying threat in his voice. Her lower lip trembled and she harshly bit the inside of her cheeks, the taste of iron spreading on her tongue immediately. "You—" she choked, "You _filthy bastard_."

"Yes," he agreed. "I know."

Something squeezed her chest, crushing and cold, and she spat out, "Sasuke-kun is not going to die in your hands."

For a few seconds, Kabuto did not answer, concentrating as he maneuvered the car with practiced movements. As the road smoothed out into a straight line, he reached out to caress her cheek, laughing quietly when she failed to contain her disgust. "I know that, too," he shifted the gear, the car sliding into a faster speed. "That's why you're here, you see. Between you and himself, Sakura-chan…" his mouth curved darkly, "There's _really_ no question as to who he's going to save, is there?"

She did not think. She could not think.

In a moment of black hysteria, Sakura launched herself at him, her leg kicking the gear as Kabuto lost his grip on the steering wheel, throwing the car into a frenzy of mad zigzags—before it finally leapt off the track and plunged straight into the pitch darkness of the trees.

**x**

As Kabuto flew off the road, Sasuke stomped on his pedal, forcing his car to skid as he turned his steering wheel and followed straight. He landed in a grassy area, three feet away from Kabuto's car, car tires hissing smoke at the abruptness. When the smoke cleared, the sight nearly killed him: Kabuto was standing outside his door, a gun pointed at Sakura, who was pressed against the car.

"Step out of the car," Kabuto ordered smoothly. "Put away your headset and hold up your hands. Do as you are told or I will shoot her in a second, I swear."

Sasuke climbed out of his car, pulling his earpiece out of his ear and dumping it to the ground. He held up his hands, his mouth flattening into a tight line as he watched them across the grass. Sakura. _Sakura. _Even though she was bloodied and bruised, she was alive. She lifted her gaze to meet his, desperation clear in those bright emerald eyes. Knowing he had no choice but to ignore it, Sasuke cleared his throat and spoke calmly. "What do you want?"

Kabuto sneered. "You know what I want."

"Regardless of whether I am here or not, the Leaf will not follow you."

"Not at the start, maybe. But they will have no choice. You're not the only one they look up to, Uchiha."

Sasuke's gaze narrowed as comprehension dawned. Kabuto was caressing Sakura, fingers softly brushing against the nape of her neck, the dip of her collarbone. "Neither is she."

"I am not here to argue with you, Uchiha Sasuke. I am here to offer you a trade," he paused, silver eyes turning to slits. "Hand me the Leaf, and I will release her. Any other response and you're going to have to watch her die—before I kill you, myself."

"That's hardly a trade, that's an ultimatum." Sasuke's rich, low chuckle echoed in the forest. "But I'll kill her first before I let you kill her."

For the first time, Sakura spoke. "I'd prefer that." She caught his gaze, offering him a tiny, calm smile that lent him some odd sense of reassurance. "You know, Kabuto, I'm normally not so impolite, but you really don't understand the way the Leaf works. You are too naive if you think killing us, both of us, will throw the Leaf into chaos, and—"

Before either she or Sasuke could react, Kabuto slammed his leg into her chest and she recoiled, then, blood dripping from her lips as she dissolved in a fit of coughs and crashed down to the floor.

"Bitch," he hissed as she collapsed once more, his fingers gripping her hair, "Stand _up_!"

Sakura did as she was told, green eyes daring and unafraid and amazingly calm, and he slapped her across the cheek. Seizing her arms behind her back, he pressed his gun against her throat, bursting into loud, thunderous laughter when he caught Sasuke's cold, impassive eyes.

"I was wrong about you, Uchiha," Kabuto spoke with unshakeable calm, "And _you_ were wrong about yourself, too. You _are_ like me. You will choose power over anything—over _anyone_—just like me. Now, what will you do?" the Sound met Sasuke's gaze, his finger stroking the trigger almost mockingly, "Will you surrender the Leaf, or will you… watch her die?"

For a long moment, Sasuke was silent, still, thinking hard. Sakura was staring at him, her eyes silently pleading for him not to give up, to always stand strong, to remember who he was—

_Breathe, Sasuke. _

—but here, right in this second…

_Breathe, Sasuke. _

…it was the most difficult, unwanted thing he ever had to do.

_Breathe, Sasuke. _

He seemed to spend so much time telling himself that, lately.

"Sakura."

She looked up just in time to see the tiny, sad smile on his lips vanish into nothingness, and he whispered:

"I'm sorry."

Sakura's eyes widened at the apology as Kabuto hoisted her closer to him, his breath warm and wet against the back of her neck. The mouth of his gun pressing hard against her throat, she attempted a weak smile and parted her lips, though the only sound she could make was a strangled gasp.

_I know_, she wanted to say. _I know. I'm sorry, too. I love you_, she thought, wishing harder than anything else that he could hear her, right now, right here, right this second—_I love you. I love you. _

What happened next made her world darken and blur: in less than a second, Sasuke lowered his arm, a gun hidden in his sleeves sliding into his hand, and shot. The bullet grazed the inside of her thigh and penetrated Kabuto's leg, the sheer motion driving him staggering backwards, his grip on her weakening. It was not enough to completely disarm the Sound, however, even as he fell to one knee and cursed loudly. He grabbed her wrist harder and pulled her to him, twisting her arm in the process as he raised his gun, aimed it at Sasuke, and pulled the trigger. Unthinkingly, Sakura shoved her foot backwards, jerking herself forward—_oh please, please don't let it hurt him, Lord, please, please, please_—then the bullet burst through her stomach, she let out a smothered scream and collapsed to the ground.

She heard four more gunshots, and then there was no more.

**x**

When she woke up, it was during daybreak and it was to a room full of sleeping people.

She found herself lying on her king-sized bed, her head resting on fluffed pillows that smelled faintly like Sasuke but weren't quite enough. Ino was curled up beside her, blonde hair tangled and haphazardly spread out over the white sheets. Tenten was sitting on the floor, her chin on her elbow as she dozed off, her mouth half-opened. Moegi and Ami sprawled on the sofa, their soft snores echoing one another. To her surprise, Shikamaru was sitting on the desk, fully awake.

"Ah," he said when Sakura cleared her throat. "You're awake."

The pink-haired woman smiled weakly. "Is everyone okay?"

"Everyone's okay," he folded his laptop with a soft click.

"Sasuke-kun…"

"He's sleeping in the next room. He crashed three hours ago. If he had known that you'd wake up now, he wouldn't have gone. He hadn't left your bedside ever since you got back." Handing her a glass of water and a pill, he carefully sat next to Ino, his voice softening. "You slept for almost two days straight."

"It felt like two minutes."

"I know. You received the most damage."

She smiled again. "I'm glad."

"You better not move so much. Tsunade's orders."

"She was here?"

"Yeah."

"She must have been unhappy."

Shikamaru scoffed. "More like furious."

Sakura tried to laugh, but pain shot to her stomach, throwing her into a fit of wild coughs. "Damn. What's the verdict?"

"For you?" he looked at her, almost sympathetic. "No form of hard physical activity until Tsunade comes in to check you again. Definitely no racing."

She nodded. "And Sasuke-kun?"

"He didn't get shot."

Relief washed over her in warm waves, before it was replaced by nausea. "So that means Kabuto…"

"He's dead." The strategist's tone was flat, but even with that she could hear the unspoken words that followed without sound. _Sasuke killed him. _

Sakura let the information sink in for a few seconds, before she swallowed. "Oh," she exhaled, choosing instead to focus on Ino and Tenten. "They look tired."

"They're okay," Shikamaru assured. He glanced at Ino's sleeping face calculatingly, sighed, and then shook her shoulders gently. "Ino, wake up."

The blonde moaned once but shot up the next second. "What? What's wrong? What happened?" her blue eyes were wide and alert and scared until they landed on her best friend. "Sakura!" she prepared to launch herself, but Shikamaru reached out just in time to keep her in her place. Her cheeks reddened and tears started forming on the corners of her eyes. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I forgot you were hurt. I'm just so relieved!"

"Sheesh," Shikamaru chided, "Ino, you're _loud_."

Ino didn't seem to care, because the next second she was out of the bed. "I'm going to tell Sasuke!"

She departed from the room in a flurry, causing Shikamaru to groan. Sakura was about to respond when a light squeeze on her hand stole her attention. When she turned her head, Tenten was awake, sitting on the side of the bed with a gentle smile on her lips. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay," Sakura smiled. "How are _you_ feeling?"

"Good."

Tenten laughed. "I'm glad nothing happened to you."

"I'm glad nothing happened to _you_. I was—"

She was interrupted by two piercing squeals from Moegi and Ami, the latter showering her with a thousand apologies as they shot to her side. Tenten laughed and withdrew patiently, watching the scene with playful amusement, until she suddenly hushed everyone.

Sakura immediately turned her head, all the words she wanted to speak fading and disappearing when she saw Sasuke. He stood by the doorway, his hair in a whole new level of dishevel. His eyes were bloodshot and his lips were dry, but the naked relief on his face was unmistakeable as he reached the bed and spoke: "Sakura."

"Hey," she said, reaching out her hand, "Hey, you."

The room was oddly silent, and it took another second for Sakura to realize that everyone else had left and there was only the two of them now.

"Sakura," Sasuke took her hand and squeezed it, his fingers ghosting over her knuckles almost desperately, as if wanting to make sure that she was here, alive, breathing. She smiled, and he squeezed harder, "Sakura."

"It's okay," she assured him quickly though she knew that he wouldn't believe her anyway, "I'm okay. I'm here."

The Uchiha nodded, swallowed. "I killed him."

Her gaze immediately softened. "You had to."

"I didn't mean to," he told her. "When we began the race, I knew something like this would happen. I knew, which was why I came prepared. But I didn't mean to kill him. I didn't _want_ to kill him. But when he—when he shot you, when I thought you were going to die—when I thought you _were_ dead…"

"I know," she interjected softly. "_I_ know, Sasuke-kun."

Silently he brought her knuckles to his lips, so soft and light that she could have just been imagining it. Lowering her hand to the bed, his fingers rested on the side of her neck before they tucked loose strands of her hair behind her ear, traced the outlines of her face, and paused on her mouth. He leaned forward, then, his lips meeting hers in a kiss so painfully tender that her heart sang. _I'm here. It's okay. _His breath ghosted over her cheeks warmly, a gentle warning of what was to come. _It's okay. _Her every nerve set on fire, she welcomed his silent claim. _I'm not scared of you, Sasuke-kun. _She moved to clutch him, ignoring the pain that sliced her abdomen, and sighed into his kiss, her moan pitched low and slow-simmered as her fingers sank into his hair. _It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. _

When he released her, she was breathless.

"I love you," he said fiercely, suddenly, quickly, "I love you, and I will never let you out of my sight again."

"Never?"

"Never."

She laughed, and it rippled across his skin, warm, inviting. He kissed her again, this time more gently, more slowly, before finally drawing away, resting his forehead against his. "When this is over," she murmured, her voice dipping low with drowsiness as she gazed at him with hooded eyes, "When I'm fully healed, when you can take some time off… maybe we can go on a short vacation. A week, two weeks. I'm thinking Paris?"

"Paris," he agreed. "Munich. Maybe even Venice, if you're up for it. But that's later. For now… sleep."

She gave him another smile and closed her eyes in healing sleep. Brushing a kiss on her temple, he lay next to her and held her hand, counting the rise and fall of her chest.

_One hundred twenty seven, one hundred twenty eight, one hundred twenty nine… _

For the first time in a long while, he fell into a blissful, dreamless slumber.

.

.

.

**end. **

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**a/n:** And that's it! Please point out my mistakes because there's bound to be a lot. I also welcome any form of feedback, negative or positive, so don't hesitate. Thank you for reading, thank you for coming back and staying with me if you're an old reader, and thank you for everything! :)


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